


Anniversary

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-15
Updated: 2013-11-20
Packaged: 2018-01-01 16:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the anniversary of Felicity being Oliver's assistant. A look into their life 6 years from now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_6 years_ , she thought, as she filled the coffee pot in the private break room Oliver had had built years ago. She’d been Oliver’s Executive Assistant for 6 years. She remembered when she hated being his assistant. It seems like yesterday… Which, okay, she did hate being his assistant yesterday, but it had been a very stressful day.

In reality, the job had gotten a lot better within the first six months. Once she adjusted to what was expected of an Executive Assistant, she excelled at it. Oliver, for his part, made some adjustments to the job title. He cut back his office hours, and made her officially in charge of the IT Department. It wasn’t the hands on job she had before, but it meant that she still got to do what she loved, and Queen Consolidated still had the best of the best working on their systems.

Their extracurricular activities continued, and although they’d had challenges over the years, Felicity and Oliver were stronger than ever.

"Good morning, Ms. Smoak", Oliver greeted her, as she handed him his coffee. He handed her a pastry in return. 

She took it with a smile, their routine a comfort. “Good morning, Mr. Queen.” She sat behind her desk, and Oliver took his place standing in front of it as she began the rundown of his day. 

"You have a board meeting at 9am. Business calls until 11am. Dentist appointment at noon, and an hour for lunch with Thea after. You have some calls scheduled afterwards, until 3pm, then you are free."

Oliver smiled, pleased as always with how they operated with such ease. He never questioned it in the moment, but in the evenings, when he found himself in his bed alone, he wondered why it was so easy with Felicity. And why it was so hard with everyone else.

He and Laurel had dated seriously for a few months. It wasn’t long until the cracks started to appear, the lies started to build up, and both of them realized they weren’t happy. He’s seen woman casual afterwards, to keep up his image and feed his urges, but it was never fulfilling. He’d been single for a long time now, and he only found himself doubting that decision when he was standing in front of Felicity.

"I’ll call to confirm your dentist appointment, and I’ll let you know when you need to leave for the meeting."

Oliver nodded. “Thank you, Felicity”, he said, forgoing the formalities they always indulged in in the mornings. It was a kind of role play for them, since formality had flown out the window long before she had become his assistant. She smiled at him widely, making his heart skip. Seeing her happy always made him feel like he was floating.

When he sat down at his desk, he gazed at Felicity through the glass wall as she made her calls. He often times lost track of time staring at her, something that John had called him out on more than once. He shook his head, frustrated with his inability to put her out of his mind, and picked up his own phone to call his mother and see how she was doing.

"Hello, I’m calling to verify Oliver Queen’s appointment at noon", Felicity stated, typing on her keyboard as she spoke. She’d made enough of these types of calls over the years, she rarely needed to devote her full attention to them anymore. 

"Of course. One moment. Yes, I see the appointment here. We’ll see your husband at noon." The woman was professional and polite, and Felicity had given up on correcting them years ago.

"Thank you", Felicity replied, then hung up the phone. She grinned to herself and shook her head fondly, recalling all the times someone had mistaken her for Oliver’s wife. It had gotten so bad, she’d caught herself calling him ‘hon’ on a few occasions. She always turned bright red, but they’d known each other long enough that it was never awkward. Sometimes, Oliver didn’t even noticed it happened. He’d reply and go back to whatever he was doing, leaving Felicity wide eyed and, more often than not, John smirking.

 _Speaking of John_ , Felicity though as the elevator bell dinged. John appeared as the doors opened, and he smiled at her as he walked down the hall to her desk.

"Morning", he greeted, leaning over the front of her desk to steal her pastry.

"Hey!", she objected, despite it happening most mornings. "Get your own!" She knew he was doing it just to tease her, considering Lyla was a wonderful cook who never let him leave the house hungry. She was happy John had found someone so well suited to him. Their rocky start had lead to a strong relationship, and a beautiful daughter.

John smiled as he took a bite of the pastry, and set it back on her desk. He waved to her as he walked into Oliver’s office. The man in question was on the phone, saying goodbye to his mom.

"I will, mom. I’ll see you Friday at dinner. Sure, I’ll invite Felicity", Oliver rolled his eyes at John as he tried to get his mom off the phone. "I love you too. Okay. Bye."

He hung up the phone and inclined his head to John in greeting as John sat in a chair in front of Oliver’s desk. “Stealing Felicity’s food again, I see”, Oliver grinned, glancing through the glass wall to see Felicity inspecting the pastry.  _For cooties_ , he was sure she would say.

"How’s your mom?", John asked, ignoring Oliver’s good-natured accusation. Moira had been released from prison over a year ago, and had some difficultly settling back into normal life. She, Oliver, and Thea had never been closer, though.

"She’s good", Oliver sighed. "The anniversary of the accident is coming up though, and she’s a little solemn. We’re having dinner on Friday though, so hopefully that’ll cheer her up."

"Right", John nodded. "And she wants you to bring the missus?" He ducked his head to hide the wide smile on his face as Oliver glared at him. John had started teasing Oliver about Felicity a few years ago, once Oliver had become stable enough that John wouldn’t have objected to him  _actually_  getting involved with her. Truthfully, he’d been hoping they’d figure something out for a while. Everyone knew they belonged together. Most people who saw them thought they were married. It provided John with endless amount of entertainment.

"Yes", Oliver answered, having long ago discovered it was better to ignore John’s remarks. "You know how much she likes Felicity."

John did. Felicity had a talent for putting people at ease, and Moira had been charmed by her. Moira had also been impressed by the good influence Felicity seemed to on to her son, and she wasn’t blind to the way Oliver look at the young woman whenever they were together.

"Speaking of Felicity", John said slowly, lowering his voice and stealing a quick glance at the woman to insure she wasn’t listening. "What are your plans for tonight?"

Oliver’s mouth quirked up as he recounted his surprise for Felicity. “I’m going to pick her up from work early and take her shopping. Then, dinner at Rosso’s, followed by a plane ride to Cambridge for a private tour of the MIT Museum.” She hadn’t been to her alma mater since graduation, and Oliver thought she’d enjoy the trip.

John nodded approvingly. She’d love it. “Do you think she knows?”, John asked Oliver. It was hard to keep secrets from Felicity.

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He paused uncertainly. “She may know about dinner, but I don’t think she’s guessed the other things.”

He gazed at her through the glass wall,  and hoped she would enjoy the surprise.


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver fidgeted nervously as he walked through the QC lobby, on his way to pick up Felicity. He had called and double confirmed all their plans, eager for everything to be perfect. John and Roy were on patrol duties for the night, and Oliver had informed both of them that if they called him, the city better be on fire.

As Oliver walked passed the security desk, the guard called out to him.

"Hey, Mr. Queen!"

Oliver slowed his stride and walked towards the man.

"Good afternoon,  Ed."

"Is it true it’s your girl’s anniversary today?", the older man asked, leaning over the counter.

Oliver grinned.  _Your girl_. “That’s right. 6 years today.”

Ed whistled. “How’d you keep her around for that long?”, he teased lightly.

Oliver shook his head, smiling widely. “I don’t have a clue. I’m just happy she did.”

Ed grinned at Oliver, pleased by the look of devotion in the younger man’s eyes.

"I better go get her. We don’t want to be late for dinner." Oliver waved at the man as he walked away. He reached the elevators and hit the button for his office. In a few minutes, he and Felicity would be on their way.

Felicity looked at the clock eagerly. She wondered when Oliver was going to arrive. She tapped her foot excitedly against her chair and spun around as she recalled her previous 5 anniversaries.

The first year, she celebrated in the basement of Verdant after taking down a corrupt politician. Oliver and John surprised her with pizza and a cake afterwards. Oliver bought her a new tablet she’d been coveting.

The second year, Oliver gifted her with a brand new computer system at work. They went to dinner that night, and for ice cream afterwards. He walked her home, saying goodbye outside of the building. When she got to her apartment, she looked out the window and saw him walking away. He waited until he saw her lights come on to leave.

The third year, the anniversary fell on a weekend and they drove to the beach for the day. They spent the day exploring the harbor shops and walking along the beach collecting seashells. Oliver gave her a bracelet, with two gold charms on it. An arrow and a computer.

The fourth year… She’d been seeing someone, and he’d had concerns about her close relationship with her boss. Oliver respected her boundaries resulting from that, and refrained from giving her anything lavish. The only way they marked the day was by having lunch together at work. She found an envelope on her desk the next morning. Inside was a long letter from Oliver detailing how much he appreciated her and a signed request for a week of paid vacation time. He encouraged her to go somewhere with her boyfriend, enjoy some time alone. She ended up breaking up with the guy and visited her parents instead.

The fifth year she was in Japan with Oliver on QC business. John had requested to stay behind with Lyla and their newborn baby. They went out that night and had an amazing time. She fell asleep on the ride back to the hotel and Oliver carried her to her room. He slipped off her heels and jacket, and tucked her into bed. She found a pair of emerald earrings on her bed side table when she woke up.

She wore those earrings all the time. She subconsciously noticed that Oliver enjoyed seeing them, and she found a way to work them into her fashion choices. In fact, she was a little shocked, three years in, to discover that most of her wardrobe incorporated green in some way.

She wondered what Oliver had planned for the night, trying to keep her expectations low. He couldn’t be expected to do something amazing every year, and she always worried over the cost of his gifts, not wanting to take advantage of him because he was blessed financially. She knew they’d be having dinner at Rosso’s, an Italian restaurant that had opened recently. They’d mistakenly called the office number to confirm. The reservation wasn’t until 5 though, and she wondered if he would pick her up before then.

The bell dinged, as if on cue, grabbing her attention. She smiled as the doors opened and Oliver stepped out, walking towards her with a grin of his own which he quickly masked with a stern expression. His eyes twinkled though, something he couldn’t hide, and Felicity smiled wider at his attempt to be serious.

“Ms. Smoak”, he greeted, inclining his head politely. She just stared at him, smiling and shaking her head, until he broke down and laughed.

“Okay, okay”, he told her. “You know why I’m here.”

She jumped out of her chair, and grabbed her purse excitedly. “Where are we going?”

He smiled at her, the excitement she was putting off infectious. He was washed in happiness, and he was having a hard time remembering when he didn’t feel that way. Felicity had changed his life fundamentally, by doing nothing other than being herself. He wonder constantly if she had any idea how much he depended on her; owed her.

“I have a surprise planned for later, but we have some time to kill before dinner”, he explained, walking beside her to the elevator. “So first, we’re going shopping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was starting to get long, so I guess there will be another chapter! :))


	3. Chapter 3

By the time they exited the last store, Felicity had a new purse, a pair of shoes, and a dress to wear to dinner. All were on sale, which made Felicity feel great. Oliver was amused as always by her reluctance to splurge on his dime and impressed with her ability to find her favorite designer items for sale. He knew that her being from a middle class family, she had to be smarter about her shopping than a socialite.

They stopped by her apartment on their way to dinner, so she could drop off her items and change. Oliver had given John the night off, so he was driving. They parked in front of her building and went upstairs. The doorman at the desk waved to them both and greeted them by name as they walked by him.

Felicity unlocked her door and walked inside, turning the lights on as she passed through the living room to her bedroom. “I’ll be quick”, she told Oliver, throwing a glance at him over her shoulder before closing the door.

Oliver had followed her into the apartment, shutting the front door behind him. He wandered into the living room, taking a look around. It had been a few months since he’d been there. It looked the same. Tidy, but not spotless. There was a blanket thrown haphazardly over the back of the couch. A book was sitting on the coffee table, next to an almost empty bowl of popcorn. He looked towards the kitchen and saw a wine glass sitting on the counter. He smiled as he imagined her huddled on the couch, reading and eating popcorn as though she were watching the book come to life like a movie.

Felicity’s bedroom door opened, drawing Oliver’s attention as she walked out, dressed for dinner. He swallowed audibly as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a mid-thigh maroon dress with a sweetheart neckline. It had a lace overlay that extended into 3/4 sleeves, appropriate for the chilly autumn weather. Her hair was hanging in soft waves down her back, and Oliver noticed she was wearing the emerald earrings he had given her in Japan. He also noticed she was barefoot, and it caused a warmth to blossom in his stomach as he thought about all the late nights he’d caught her dancing barefoot at the office and in the basement.

"What do you think?", she asked, turning around to let him get a complete look. He realized she was showing him because it was the dress she had picked out while they were shopping. It didn’t look as good on the rack as it did on her.

"You look great", he told her, his voice so breathy it sounded like a whisper. She looked at him oddly, confused by the look on his face. She wondered if he didn’t like it.

"You’re sure?", she asked. "If you don’t like it… Well, too bad, because I like it." She laughed lightly, and looked at him intently. He was staring. "Oliver?"

He shook his head, snapping out his captivation. “No, you look really…  _really_ great.” He smiled at her shyly. “Beautiful.”

She regarded him with suspicion, not quite buying that she had made such a big impression with the outfit. Then she nodded succinctly, pleased either way. “Alright. Let me grab my jacket and slip on some shoes, and we can go.”

Oliver gulped air as soon as she disappeared again, feeling embarrassed.  _Get it together, man_ , he chastised himself. He hadn’t planned on the night being anything more than a celebration of Felicity’s time working for him, but things had been building up for so long, and now he worried he wouldn’t be able to refrain from confessing his feelings to her.

He shook his head as he thought about the extent of his feelings. He loved her. He had for a long time, although the realization had snuck up on him slowly. He didn’t recognize it at first, as friendship and partnership melded with romantic attraction and a deeper connection than either of them had intended. When he had told her, after their first trip to Russia together, that he didn’t want to be involved with someone he really cared about because of the life he lead, he meant it. Even then, before he realized how much of a hold she had on him, he worried about the danger being with him would put her in.

That fear, which he experienced daily, had kept him from being with her, but the excuse had worn thin a long time ago. She was in danger because of him. She worked with him, as Green Arrow and CEO of Queen Consolidated. Romantically involved or not, she would be a target for enemies of either. 

He didn’t want fear to define him anymore. He regretted that it had kept him from telling her the truth for so long. He wanted to be happy, and he knew he would be happiest with Felicity. He hoped she was still willing to give him a chance.


End file.
